Competing Abroad – Preparing for Brexit
The best source of up-to-date advice on the impact of Brexit on athletes travelling to compete outside the UK is the following government website: https://euexit.campaign.gov.uk/.
Generally speaking and to summarise the information we have, under a deal scenario (e.g. MPs accept a deal in the coming weeks) or a delay scenario (MPs vote to delay Brexit day – e.g. we won’t ‘leave’ the EU on March 29) all existing rules and procedures will apply for living, working and transporting goods to/from the EU.
In a no deal scenario (i.e. we leave the EU on March 29 without any agreement) there could be some knock on issues that affect athletes competing abroad and some of these issues are outlined below.
Individuals travelling/competing aboard under no-deal:
- Athletes travelling to EU countries, or travelling within EU countries, generally speaking will be covered under Schengen rules and thus athletes and staff shouldn’t have any issues travelling to/from/between Schengen countries even in a no-deal scenario – as long as they are only resident in that country for 90 out of 180 days.
- Visas – Where a UK national sportsperson is travelling to the EU to compete in an event, they should be able to do so without requiring a visa, as the European Commission has proposed visa free travel for short term visits by UK citizens in a no deal situation (as has the UK for EU citizens).
- Travel Delays – We don’t have any specific information on potential travel delays around the exit date itself, but we recommend that you allow more time for travel around these dates, and be prepared for additional delays.
- Passports – It is important to note the need to have 6 months left on passports if travelling into the EU after 29 March in a no deal situation.
- Driving Licences – From 28 March 2019, drivers from the UK may need a different international driving permit (IDP) to drive abroad. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, UK drivers may also need an IDP and extra documentation to drive in the EU and EEA.
